Ukrainian soccer team united despite turmoil at home

Ukraine soccer coach, Mykhailo Fomenko, facing, speaks to his players during a training session in the Ayia Napa resort on the southeast of the island of Cyprus, Tuesday March 4, 2014. The Ukrainians will play the United States in a friendly match on Wednesday in Cyprus, after the match was moved from Kharkiv in Ukraine to Larnaca in Cyprus for security reasons. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

AYIA NAPA, Cyprus (AP) — With the country in turmoil, Ukraine's national soccer team says it is a symbol of the country's unity.

The Ukrainians are scheduled to face the United States in a friendly on Wednesday in Cyprus, a match moved from Kharkiv to Larnaca for security reasons.

"The national team is a symbol of unity because players come from all over Ukraine," captain Anatoliy Tymoshchuk said on a wind-swept practice pitch behind the team's hotel in the coastal resort of Ayia Napa. "We're all one big family, we're all united."

Speaking ahead of the team's training session on Tuesday, Tymoshchuk said the troubles at home do weigh on players' minds.

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"It's a dangerous situation," he said. "We have our families, we worry but we hope that we can keep the peace in Ukraine as quickly as possible."

Team spokesman Alexander Glyvynskyy said Wednesday's match is dedicated to the people of Ukraine under the slogan "Peace for Ukraine."

"We are not ready for war," Glyvynskyy said. "We hope that we can be good neighbors (with Russia) in the future."

Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko said the match is very important for him team to send those messages of unity back home.

"Most important is unity and concentration, it's important for all Ukrainians," Fomenko said. "I told the players to play like one unit."

Despite threats to cancel the match, Ukraine soccer association president Anatoliy Konkov said Tuesday the game would go ahead.

"(We) reached a consensus to play the USA after all," Konkov said in a statement that also praised the American team. "(They) stood behind us to protect the national interests and territorial integrity of Ukraine."

The match, which will be played at Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, is a key warm-up for the United States ahead of this year's World Cup. But for Ukraine, which failed to qualify for the tournament in Brazil, it will serve as preparation for the qualifying tournament for the 2016 European Championship.

"This game is a huge opportunity, mainly for our European-based players, for those guys to prove to us that they are eager and hungry to jump on the train to the FIFA World Cup," U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said.

Fomenko said earlier in Kiev that he expects Wednesday's game to be similar in style to a Premier League match, since many of the American players play for English clubs.

Glyvynskyy said he expects the Americans to play an attacking game, but that Ukraine is injury-free and has all its best players available.

"The players want to play on an official level and want to test their level of play after a two-month winter break," he said.

Glyvynskyy said the Ukrainian team will be a tough opponent for the US, but would play "stronger" if it faced Russia on the pitch.

He added that Cyprus was an ideal location for the match because it was relatively simple to organize at short notice and there are no problems with visa issues.

Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium has hosted many of Cyprus' international matches, but it's not the Mediterranean island's top venue. The GSP Stadium in Nicosia, however, is unavailable because Cyprus is hosting Northern Ireland in another friendly.

It's the second time in recent weeks that Cyprus has been selected as an alternate venue for a match involving a Ukrainian team. Last month, a Europa League match between Dynamo Kiev and Valencia was moved to the Cypriot capital.